


Meri Kerisumisu

by Asselin



Category: xxxHoLic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-04
Updated: 2011-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 00:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21878596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asselin/pseuds/Asselin
Summary: A xxxHoLic Christmas.





	Meri Kerisumisu

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ceitean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceitean/gifts).



> I finished this the first day after getting the assignment and have been bouncing off the walls between boredom and nerves ever since, waiting for the reveal. I hope it's what you were looking for.  
>    
> Disclaimer: xxxHoLic does not belong to me or mine. I am not making money off of this story, nor do I intend to.
> 
> 2019 EDIT: A few years ago, I planned to remove all my posted stories from this account and only use it to leave kudos occasionally. However, removing what were gifts to other people without even a warning was a mistake, so as of now I'm reposting all of my Yuletide works.  
> And thank you, CousinShelley, for sending me the email that started this!

It was Christmas Eve night, and to hold with the old rhyme, everyone in Yuko’s store should have been in bed long ago. But apparently the woman hadn’t heard of that rhyme, nor had she paid the traditions any heed, and as such all of them were still up at ten o’clock.

They really were Western traditions anyway, Watanuki thought as he stood in the kitchen with a bowl in one hand and a long-handled spoon in the other. True to form, Yuko had demanded sweets in the late night to accompany the expected alcohol, and he had been at it for the past three hours. To make matters worse for him, Moro, Maru, and the black Mokona were all lingering near the kitchen to keep an eye on the sweets’ progress and to sneak a taste when they could, though that part at least the two girls declined to help with.

After much deliberation, he decided on peppermint candy, it being appropriate for the time of year and a fair complement to the liquor. It was nearly done now, but for the shaping and cooling, and the smell wafting on the warm air being generated by the cooking had alerted the watchers to the identity of the candy and thus had increased the thievery attempts.

“Oh, good! You’re almost done!” exclaimed a voice from the doorway, startling him and almost prompting him to throw the spoon at the as-of-yet-unidentified person. Then he turned his head to look, and it was only Yuko standing at the door, a wide, lazy grin on her face. It looked as if she had been at the liquor prematurely.

“Almost,” he replied, doing his level best to keep the snap out of his voice. Contained within his ribcage, his heart noisily demanded to be let out.

“Good. I’ve arranged to have Dômeki-kun and Himawari-chan meet us in the park, and we’ll need to be going soon if we’re to make it there in time.” She sniffed once at the air and asked, “Peppermint?”

“Yes. I thought it would be appropriate.”

She grinned again and got a nostalgic look in her eyes before vanishing out the door.

It took him another fifteen minutes to shape all the candy and wrap them individually in small bits of brown wax paper, keeping an eye on the door to ward off the three watchers the entire time. Once all the tiny packages had been packed into a large box and a ribbon tied around it all, he tucked it under one arm and slipped past the three into the main hall. At the door, he deposited three pieces of candy each in Moro’s and Maru’s hands, smiling at the way their eyes lit up eagerly. Mokona hopped onto his shoulder and tucked itself firmly against his neck, waiting.

Yuko was already standing outside in the snow when he came out, freshly bundled in coat, hat and scarf. She still had the vaguely dreamy look in her eyes from too much liquor, but she seemed to have regained her senses and walked a straight line beside him as they made their way to the snow-filled park.

They were the first ones there, but it wasn’t long before first Himawari and then Dômeki showed themselves, the former with cans of chocolate in her arms and the latter with a cone-ish shaped package in one hand. Talking before even fully coming to a stop, they both sat down on the snowy ground and passed out the cans. Following suit, Watanuki unwrapped the box and pulled off the lid, displaying the pink-and-white candies with a hint of pride.

“Ohh, they’re beautiful!” Himawari exclaimed, clapping her hands delightedly. And indeed they were, fashioned in the shape of little Mokonas like the dough candies had been, pink for black and white for white. Glancing once at Watanuki, Dômeki reached down and took one, biting its head off with little regard for the fact that he had just eaten Mokona’s effigy. Unnoticed in the exchange, the black Mokona hopped down and pilfered one of its own, hopping onto Himawari’s shoulder to eat it.

As they ate the candies and talked, bursting into helpless laughter at odd times when the scene grew too ridiculous, Dômeki pushed the package he had brought across the snow-covered ground to Yuko’s booted feet. The witch gave him a curious look, but he shook his head and looked away, plainly saying ‘forget it.’ Smiling like a Cheshire cat, she picked the parcel up and shook it lightly, grinning wider at the sound from within-swishing. Setting it down, she announced, “I think it would be more appropriate to open this at home,” but gave Dômeki an appreciative smirk all the same.

Amidst the warm, cozy and slightly sleepy atmosphere that the companionship was garnering, Watanuki felt someone watching from the shadows, keeping their eye on him at all times. He looked up briefly, spotting the hooded figure near the base of a thick, old tree. The person perked up a little when he saw them, and waved shyly, beckoning him over. Uncertainly, he stood and made his way to their side.

“I-I thought I should come and see you,” came a soft voice from under the fur-lined hood, and small, gloved hands came up to draw aside the covering and show the shy, dewy eyes and straight black hair of the zashiki-warashi. She smiled bashfully, her face softly illuminated by the lights of the town that surrounded them. “Just to see how you were getting along. It being Christmas and all that, you know.” She looked up at him fearfully. “You do know, right?”

“Yeah. I was wondering how you were getting along,” he replied. “Where you were....”

“You were-“ Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she gave a choked laugh. “R-really?”

“Of course.” He smiled a little himself, and turned a little to the side to keep an eye on the others.

“I didn’t think-I never-“ A small, thick giggle came from her mouth, and tears spilled down her pale face. “I should be going,” she said, wiping her face roughly with one hand. “ _Meri kerisumisu_.”

She wrapped her arms around him in a quick, loose hug before rising into the air and floating away in a swirl of pale blue streamers of light. He watched her go solemnly before looking back at the others in time to see Mokona pilfer another candy straight from Himawari’s hands and the others erupt in laughter. In that moment, only one coherent thought would come to his mind.

This is how Christmas ought to be.


End file.
